The birth of the Ottoman state is shrouded in legend. It is said that a young warrior named Osman fell in love with Malkhatun, daughter of the saintly Sheikh Edebali. Being poor, his only hope lay in winning military fame. In so doing Osman captured the Greek lord of Khirmencik castle, Köse Mikhal, and the two men became friends. It was only when Osman told Edebali about a strange dream that he won his beloved's hand. In this dream Osman saw a moon [symbolising Malkhatun] rise from the Sheikh's chest and set in Osman's own. Immediately a great tree [an ancient Turkish sacred symbol] sprang from Osman's chest and spread across the sky while from its roots flowed four mighty rivers [Tigris, Euphrates, Nile and Danube]. Suddenly a wind made its sword-shaped leaves all point to the city of Istanbul [Constantinople]. Sheikh Edebali interpreted this as a prophecy of world domination, and promptly married his daughter to the up-and-coming conqueror. Whatever the truth of its origins, the Ottomans formed an Empire which almost succeeded in bringing Christian Europe to its knees. Complemented by a multitude of illustrations throughout, including eight full page colour plates by Angus McBride [with accompanying commentaries] this text by David Nicolle examines the armies of the Ottoman Turks from 1300-1774.